Alan Curry

@WhitleyBirder Still holding out for one on the wetland, I’m not holding my breath however!

@Yellowbrow Cheers Alan, it was very accommodating when it was on its own. I gather it’s been hanging out with Ringed Plover this evening so presumably very uncooperative!

After the pain of dipping the Temminck’s Stint on Sunday, it was a huge relief to connect with one at Maiden’s Hall Lake yesterday morning. Arrived at dawn hoping it had stayed overnight - thankfully it had, and with patience, it showed incredibly well feeding at close range.

@stuttonsparrows No sign of the female this morning after more heavy overnight rain. I fear she’s given up.

@Yellowbrow I've had submerged eggs hatch before now. Wouldn't recommend it mind.

The first breeding attempt in over 20 years on the wetland and yesterday happened. A rise of 200mm. Who’d be a ground nester.

@StevenGray53 My bad, St Mary's Island Wetland, a local nature reserve near Whitley Bay, SE Northumberland.

@Yellowbrow Which wetland?

The male of the pair before yesterday’s monsoon.

Male LRP on the roadside verge in the first car park @ SMI, completely bonkers!

Ever so pleased yesterday’s reported AGP on the Wetland had the decency to make another appearance this morning. A 2CY Grey Plover, one of those classic birding banana skins out there to trip up the unwary!

Magnus the walrus’s tour of coastal Scotland continues at Hopeman, where he found a speedy way of re-entering the sea from the quayside. Video by Giorgia Mahmoud facebook.com/share/r/1CbsV7…

A large ‘Greenland’ type Northern Wheatear freshly arrived on SMI Wetland yesterday afternoon.

@andymould10 @BudleBirder That’s brilliant that Andy, Picasso would have been proud!

@BudleBirder @Yellowbrow I thought you'd have picked my White-billed Diver N at Stag Rocks on 31/10/08 as your front cover?😉 (the diver is just left of centre...bit of water in the lens that day!).

Cataloguing a true mega-patch, how the other half lives! I know an awful lot of work has gone into this, so looking forward to the final result.

@WhitleyBirder Blimey, don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the county that well. Canny!

Northumberland yearlist still ticking along… awesome views of the Black Guillemot on Holy Island this evening. Not an easy bird to see in the county, been years since I’ve seen one - worth the drive up after work!

@sudswatcher Too clarty for our refined Whitley Bay Shelducks!

@Yellowbrow Plenty of room on the mighty #Blyth estuary especially if you’ve got any bling. #SergeantShelduck

Shelduck prospecting the cliffs at SMI, an annual spring occurrence though they never seem to find them to their liking.

Gropper doing what it does best on the patch this morning.

Not sure which is the rarer sighting, this 3CY Spoonbill or cloudless blue skies over Blyth this pm! #sudswatcher

Northbound Black-tailed Godwits, a splash of colour on the mighty Blyth Est this morning.

To get 2 Green Sands in the same week is quite exceptional for SMI Wetland, where random autumn flyovers are usually as good as it gets!

@sudswatcher Can’t wait! 2 WBD’s probably equates to at least 5 years until the next biggie turns up!

@Yellowbrow Don’t worry mate you’ve always got the Mighty Blyth estuary to look forward to 😉

What a great way to sign off on our Chilean jaunt. As the sun was setting on our final evening in Torres del Paine this female Puma offered some wonderful scope views. Iconic!